La Liga players have staged coordinated on-pitch protests this weekend against the league's controversial decision to move the Villarreal-Barcelona match to Miami, USA, in December. The decision, which has been met with backlash from players, fans, and even FIFA, has sparked a fierce battle over the future of European football and the potential for matches to be played on foreign soil.
The Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE), with the support of the First Division captains, announced that players would stage a symbolic protest at the start of each match in the ninth round of the La Liga season. The protest involves players pausing for a period at the beginning of games to demonstrate against La Liga's lack of transparency, dialogue, and consistency regarding the possibility of playing a competition match in the United States.
On Friday night, the first protest took place during the match between Real Oviedo and Espanyol. Both sets of players stood still for the opening 15 seconds of the match. However, the official La Liga broadcast cut away from the protest, showing a birds-eye view of Oviedo’s stadium instead. This act of censorship has reportedly angered players, leading to discussions about potentially modifying the protest to avoid further attempts to diminish its impact. Some players are even prepared to go on strike.
The decision to move the Villarreal-Barcelona game to Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on December 20 has been defended by La Liga President Javier Tebas, who argues that it will increase revenues and the value of Spanish football's television rights. La Liga has already chartered planes to Florida and estimates that between 2,000 and 3,000 Villarreal fans will be on board. Tebas believes that soccer fans living outside Europe have the right to see their teams play live.
However, the players view the situation differently. Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong and manager Hansi Flick have both spoken out against the decision. Flick stated that his players are not happy with the situation, but they must respect the league's decision. De Jong has criticized the game in Miami, stating that it disrupts the tradition of La Liga. Players see the added travel as a burden amid an already demanding schedule, especially with Barcelona and Villarreal competing in the Champions League this season and the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia in January.
The AFE has questioned the competitive integrity of moving a match to a neutral venue in the United States, where the crowd will likely favor Barcelona. They are demanding that all information regarding the project be shared to ensure that the needs and concerns of the footballers are addressed. Real Madrid has also previously spoken out against the match.
UEFA is also discussing the matter at a meeting. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has expressed his unhappiness with the plan. FIFA is waiting for UEFA, US Soccer, and CONCACAF to approve the game before considering the matter.
La Liga has refuted accusations of a lack of transparency and stated its willingness to meet with the AFE to foster useful dialogue. However, a scheduled meeting between La Liga and the AFE was canceled, further fueling the players' frustration. La Liga has called a meeting with the AFE for October 24th to discuss the situation.
The situation remains tense, and it is unclear whether the protests will lead to a change in La Liga's plans. The players are determined to fight for their voices to be heard and to protect the integrity of the competition.
